Using visual images transferred from wireless computing device display screens

ABSTRACT

Within a wireless computing device, a method of conducting commerce can include receiving a user input in the wireless computing device specifying an account to which a proposed transaction is to be billed and identifying contact information for a billing entity according to the user specified account. The billing entity can manage the account. An authorization can be requested from the billing entity via a wireless communications link established using the contact information. The method also can include receiving the authorization from the billing entity via the wireless communications link, generating a visual image which identifies the billing entity and represents the authorization received from the billing entity, and presenting the visual image upon the display screen of the wireless computing device. Accordingly, a visual image reader can read the displayed visual image.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of, and accordingly claims thebenefit of, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/324,522, filed with theU.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Dec. 19, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No.7,493,284.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

The invention relates to the field of wireless computing devices and,more particularly, to using a wireless computing device to performfinancial transactions.

2. Description of the Related Art

Bar codes are used to represent information in a manner that can beeasily and automatically read by machines referred to as bar codereaders. Accordingly, bar codes are utilized for a variety of differentpurposes which range from tracking and identifying inventory items toidentifying persons. Bar codes can be implemented as single dimensionbar codes or as multidimensional bar codes.

Bar codes need not be printed on paper or other conventional surfaces.For example, bar codes can be displayed upon display devices such asliquid crystal displays (LCD). LCDs operate by altering the polarity ofportions of the screen to allow light to pass through thereby producingareas of contrast on the LCD. Thus, a bar code can be displayed upon theLCD and can be read by a bar code reader.

Conventional devices such as electronic wallets having displaysincorporated therein can be programmed to display bar codes upon thedisplay screen of the device. These devices can be programmed to storeand display any of several different bar codes which correspond toidentification cards the user typically carries on his or her person.Because the electronic wallet can display a given bar code responsive toa user request, the user need not carry the various individual cards ifthe bar code from the card is stored within the electronic wallet.

Still, such devices are limited to displaying only preprogrammed barcodes which are representative of various other user accounts.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for conductingcommerce with a wireless computing device. More particularly, thepresent invention allows a user to command a wireless computing deviceto request authorization from a billing entity to charge a particulartransaction to an account associated with or managed by that billingentity. A response received from the billing entity can be provided to amerchant via a bar code which can be dynamically determined by thewireless computing device. The bar code can be displayed upon a displayscreen of the wireless computing device. The authorization also can betransferred to the merchant using a short range wireless communicationslink. In any case, the merchant then can contact the billing entity toverify or confirm authorization to complete the transaction.

The present invention can provide enhanced security over conventionalmethods of conducting commerce. For example, according to oneembodiment, the merchant need not have knowledge of the user's accountnumber. Rather, the merchant can contact a billing entity using theauthorization number as a reference which correlates with the proposedtransaction, the user account, and the account owner. In anotherembodiment, an application executing on the wireless computing devicecan require user verification and authentication procedures such as userentered passwords or some other type of user identification such as avoice match, finger print, or some other form of biometric informationfrom the user before a request for a potential transaction can beinitiated. In addition, the present invention provides the billingentity with an opportunity to review credit limits on a per transactionbasis, as well as negotiate new or revised credit limits throughcommunications with the user via the user's wireless computing device ona per transaction basis.

One aspect of the present invention can include a method of conductingcommerce which can be performed within a wireless computing device. Themethod can include receiving a user input in the wireless computingdevice specifying an account to which a proposed transaction is to bebilled. The user input also can specify the billing entity and/or anamount of the proposed transaction. Contact information for the billingentity can be determined based upon to the user specified account. Forexample, the contact information can be associated with the account andcan be stored within the device or located in a network accessible datastore. The billing entity can be charged with managing the account andproviding authorizations to charge the account.

Authorization to charge the account can be requested from the billingentity via a wireless communications link established using the contactinformation for the billing entity. For example, the wirelesscommunications link can be a data communication link or can be a voicecommunications link. If the authorization is requested using a voicecommunications link, the requesting step can include calling the billingentity and requesting the authorization over the voice communicationslink.

The method also can include receiving the authorization from the billingentity via the wireless communications link and dynamically generating avisual image which can identify the billing entity and represent theauthorization received from the billing entity. Accordingly, the visualimage can be presented upon the display screen of the wireless computingdevice such that a visual image reader can read the displayed visualimage.

Once the visual image is presented upon the display screen of thewireless computing device, a visual image reader which can beincorporated within a merchant information processing system can be usedto read the visual image. The merchant information processing system candetermine the authorization and the billing entity from the visualimage. Accordingly, the contact information for the billing entity canbe identified whether determined from the visual image itself or fromaccessing a data store having contact information which can be matchedto the billing entity information determined from the visual image. Themerchant information processing system can send the authorization to thebilling entity and subsequently receive a response from the billingentity indicating whether the proposed transaction was accepted.

Another aspect of the present invention can include receiving a userinput in the wireless computing device specifying an account to which aproposed transaction is to be billed and determining contact informationfor a billing entity according to the user specified account. Thebilling entity can be charged with managing the account. Anauthorization can be requested from the billing entity via a wirelesscommunications link established using the contact information. Theauthorization can be received from the billing entity via the wirelesscommunications link. The authorization and information identifying thebilling entity can be sent to a merchant information processing systemthrough a short range wireless communications link.

Accordingly, the merchant information processing system can receive theauthorization and information identifying the billing entity. Themerchant information processing system can identify contact informationfor the billing entity whether received from the wireless computingdevice or determined from a data store accessible to the merchantinformation processing system. The merchant information processingsystem can send the authorization to the billing entity and subsequentlyreceive a response from the billing entity indicating whether theproposed transaction was accepted.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

There are shown in the drawings embodiments which are presentlypreferred, it being understood, however, that the invention is notlimited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a system for performing afinancial transaction in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a wireless computing devicein accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating a method of conducting financialtransactions using a wireless computing device in accordance with thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for conductingcommerce using a wireless computing device. More particularly, thepresent invention allows a user to command a wireless computing deviceto request authorization from a billing entity to charge a particulartransaction to an account associated with that billing entity. Aresponse received from the billing entity can be provided to a merchantvia a bar code which can be displayed upon the wireless computing deviceor can be transferred to the merchant using a short range wirelesscommunications link. Subsequently, the merchant can contact the billingentity to verify or confirm authorization to complete the proposedtransaction.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a system 100 for performingfinancial transactions in accordance with the present invention. Asshown in FIG. 1, the system 100 can include a wireless computing device105, a billing entity 110, and a point of sale (POS) system 115. Awireless communications network (not shown) can serve to communicativelylink the wireless communications device 105 and the billing entity 110.Although the POS system 115 and the billing entity 110 also can becommunicatively linked via the wireless communications network, the POSsystem 115 and the billing entity 110 can communicate via a wiredcommunications network as well. The wireless computing device 105 andthe POS system 115 can communicate via short range wirelesscommunications or via a bar code reader.

The wireless computing device 105 can be a portable computing devicethat can communicate over a wireless communications network, whetherusing a data communication channel or a voice communications channel.Accordingly, exemplary wireless computing devices 105 can include, butare not limited to, cellular or wireless telephones, hand-held computingdevices or personal digital assistants having wireless communicationscapability, as well as portable computers.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the wireless computingdevice 105 can include a display screen such as a liquid crystal display(LCD) screen which can be used to display bar codes. In anotherembodiment, in addition to having a wireless transceiver capable ofconducting long range wireless communications such as cellular telephonecalls or wirelessly accessing the Internet and/or the Web, the wirelesscomputing device 105 can include a wireless transceiver configured toconduct short range wireless communications. For example, the wirelesscomputing device 105 can be Bluetooth-enabled or be configured tocommunicate using any other appropriate short range wirelesscommunications protocol such as a wireless communications protocolselected from the 802.11 family of protocols.

In any case, the wireless computing device 105 can include anapplication program configured to conduct financial transactions.Accordingly, the wireless computing device 105 can store accountinformation relating to billing accounts. The account information canspecify account numbers, information which can uniquely identify a userof the wireless computing device 105 (the account owner or authorizeduser of the account), as well as information specifying the manner inwhich the billing entity 110 which manages the account can be contacted.Notably, such information also can be located on a remote data storewhich can be accessed by the wireless computing device 105.

The billing entity 110 can be any organization which manages accounts,whether bank accounts, credit card accounts, other financial accounts,and the like. Accordingly, the billing entity 110 can be equipped withinformation processing systems which can receive wireless communicationsfrom the wireless computing device 105 as well as merchant equipment forverifying and authorizing transactions. The billing entity 110 also caninclude communications equipment for communicating via wiredcommunications networks such as the Internet, the Web, and/or the publicswitched telephone network (PSTN).

The POS system 115 can be located on premises at a merchant site. ThePOS system 115 can be integrated into a larger information processingsystem which can communicate with the billing entity, whether via awireless communications link or a wired communications link. The POSsystem 115 can be equipped with a bar code reader and/or a short rangewireless transceiver such as a Bluetooth-enabled transceiver forcommunicating with the wireless computing device 105.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary wirelesscomputing device 200 in accordance with the present invention. Thewireless computing device 200 represents a cellular telephone configuredin accordance with the inventive arrangements disclosed herein. Thewireless computing device 200 can include a display 205, for example anLCD, which can display a bar code 210. Notably, the wireless computingdevice 200 can be programmed to display single dimension bar codes aswell as multidimensional bar codes. As noted, the wireless computingdevice 200 is not limited to a cellular telephone, but rather caninclude any portable computing device having wireless communicationscapabilities as well as a display screen capable of presenting barcodes. As noted, according to one embodiment of the present invention,the wireless computing device 200 can include a short range wirelesstransceiver.

The term “bar code” as used herein, can include any of a variety ofgraphic symbols or visual images. The bar code can be formed from anordering of spaced vertical bars, wherein both the thickness of the barsand the amount of space between the bars can vary. The arrangement ofbars and spacing specifies encoded information. For example, the barcode can be a conventional low, medium, or high density bar code. Thebar code, however, also can be a single dimension, dual dimension and/ormultidimensional bar code. Still, the bar code need not be formed ofbars and spaces at all, but rather any image which can be read orinterpreted using scanning technology capable of detecting visuallydetectable patterns, for example as is typically utilized in “bar code”reading devices or scanners. Although a variety of existing bar codeencoding standards exist, a bar code can specify information, whethernumbers, characters, and/or symbols, using any protocol which both thebar code reader, and decoder if separate from the bar code reader, andthe bar code generating device have been configured or programmed toimplement.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating a method of conducting financialtransactions using a wireless computing device in accordance with thepresent invention. The method 300 can begin in a state wherein thewireless computing device is awaiting a user input requesting that afinancial transaction be initiated. For example, the wireless computingdevice can be programmed to launch an application program upon receivinga particular input, or can be executing an application program as abackground process. In any case, in step 305 a user input specifyingaccount information can be received from a user of the wirelesscomputing device. For example, the wireless computing device can bevoice-enabled such that the user can speak into the wireless computingdevice. Still, the user can activate one or more keys to specifycommands or passwords, or use a pointing device, for example in the caseof a personal digital assistant. Thus, the account information can bespecified by the user by keying, speaking, or pointing to an identifierwhich is associated with the account in the memory of the wirelesscomputing device.

In addition to specifying account information, the user input also canspecify an amount for which authorization is being sought in connectionwith the account and proposed transaction. For instance, while at acheck out counter, a user can initiate a request to the wirelesscomputing device which specifies a designated account as well as anamount to be billed. In one embodiment, the application programexecuting within the wireless computing device can query the user forthe amount once the user initiates the financial transaction. As noted,to gain access to the wireless computing device or the financialapplication within the wireless computing device, the user may berequired to provide identifying information such as passwords and/orbiometric information.

In step 310, the wireless computing device can access a memory store,which can be included within the wireless device or can be accessibleover a communications network, which includes account information forthe user. For example, the data store can include a listing of theuser's accounts, contact information for the billing entity associatedwith each listed account, as well as the associations of potential userinputs such as icons, codes, audio, and/or symbols which the applicationprogram executing in the wireless computing device uses to represent thevarious accounts.

Accordingly, using the user input, the contact information for thebilling entity associated with the user selected account can beretrieved from memory. The retrieved account information can specify anetwork address for establishing communications with the billing entityvia a data communications link. Alternatively, the account informationcan specify a telephone number which can be dialed to contact thebilling entity to establish an audio or voice channel over which datacan be exchanged between the wireless computing device and the billingentity.

In step 315, the wireless computing device can send an authorizationrequest to the billing entity associated with the user selected account.The authorization request can identify the requesting user, the amountto be approved for the transaction, as well as the particular account tobe billed. In one embodiment, the wireless computing device canconstruct a query to be sent over a wireless data communicationschannel. Such a query can be sent using Wireless Application Protocol(WAP), Short Message Service (SMS), or another suitable wirelesscommunications protocol. In another embodiment, however, the wirelesscommunications device can dial a telephone number for the billing entityand, using a modem, transmit the authorization request over anestablished wireless voice channel.

The billing entity, having received the authorization request, canaccess the user's account records and determine whether to approve orreject the authorization request. Accordingly, the billing entity cansend an authorization to the requesting wireless computing device. Theauthorization can be a password or code which is linked to the proposedtransaction. In step 320, the wireless computing device can receive theauthorization from the billing entity. The authorization can directly orindirectly specify information such as the identity of the requestinguser, the account to be charged, the billing entity, and/or contactinformation for the billing entity.

In step 325, the wireless computing device can represent the receivedauthorization as a bar code. More particularly, the commerce applicationexecuting within the wireless computing device can be configured toencode received authorizations from billing entities as bar codes usinga predetermined bar coding format or schema. The bar codes can bedynamically generated by the wireless computing device using thepredetermined bar code generation protocol. Thus, the bar coderepresentation of the authorization code can be presented upon thedisplay screen of the wireless computing device in step 330.

In step 335, the user of the wireless computing device can present thedevice at a point of sale. More particularly, the user can place thedevice within the scanning range of a bar code reader. In step 340, thebar code reader can read or scan the display screen of the wirelesscomputing device to read the bar code. The point of sale system, oranother back-end data processing system of the merchant, can translatethe bar code into the authorization code that was initially received bythe wireless computing device in step 345.

Accordingly, in step 350 the merchant can send the authorization code tothe billing entity. Notably, the bar code can include contactinformation specifying the manner in which the merchant can contact thebilling entity for approval of the proposed transaction. For example,the bar code can specify a network address or a telephone number overwhich the merchant can communicate with the billing entity to obtainapproval. In another embodiment, the bar code need only specify theparticular billing entity in addition to an authorization code. In thatcase, the billing entity can maintain or access a data store withcontact information corresponding to the billing entity specified withinthe bar code. Still, depending upon the particular embodiment of theinvention, the merchant can submit the amount to be billed to the useraccount as an additional parameter of the proposed transaction.

The billing entity can match parameters of the merchant's request withparameters of the previously received user request to verify andinitiate the potential transaction. The billing entity can send aresponse indicating whether the potential transaction was approved. Instep 355, the merchant can receive the response from the billing entity.If the potential transaction is approved, then in step 360, thepotential transaction can be completed. If the potential transaction isnot approved, the method can end without completing the sale ortransaction.

The present invention provides a solution for conducting commerce withwireless computing devices. Still, other embodiments beyond thosedescribed herein with reference to the figures are within the scope ofthe present invention. For example, in one embodiment, the user requestto initiate a potential transaction need not specify an amount, but onlyinform the billing entity that an authorization request from a merchantwill be forthcoming. Accordingly, the merchant request can provide theamount to be billed to the user designated account. Although themerchant information processing system or the wireless computing devicecan be configured to submit pricing information to the billing entity,in one embodiment, both the wireless computing device and the merchantinformation processing system can submit the amount to be billed as anadditional security check. In another embodiment, if the wirelesscomputing device incorporates a short range wireless communicationstransceiver, data can be exchanged with the merchant informationprocessing systems using short range wireless communications rather thanbar codes and bar code readers.

The present invention can be realized in hardware, software, or acombination of hardware and software. The present invention can berealized in a centralized fashion in one computer system, or in adistributed fashion where different elements are spread across severalinterconnected computer systems. Any kind of computer system or otherapparatus adapted for carrying out the methods described herein issuited. A typical combination of hardware and software can be a generalpurpose computer system with a computer program that, when being loadedand executed, controls the computer system such that it carries out themethods described herein.

The present invention also can be embedded in a computer programproduct, which comprises all the features enabling the implementation ofthe methods described herein, and which when loaded in a computer systemis able to carry out these methods. Computer program or application inthe present context means any expression, in any language, code ornotation, of a set of instructions intended to cause a system having aninformation processing capability to perform a particular functioneither directly or after either or both of the following: a) conversionto another language, code or notation; b) reproduction in a differentmaterial form.

This invention can be embodied in other forms without departing from thespirit or essential attributes thereof. Accordingly, reference should bemade to the following claims, rather than to the foregoingspecification, as indicating the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A non-transitory machine readable storage, havingstored thereon a computer program having a plurality of code sectionsexecutable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:receiving a user input in a wireless computing device specifying anaccount to which a proposed transaction is to be billed and an amountfor which authorization is being sought in connection with the accountand proposed transaction; identifying contact information for a billingentity according to the user specified account, wherein the billingentity manages the account; sending an authorization request from thewireless computing device to the billing entity via a wirelesscommunications link established between the wireless computing deviceand the billing entity using the contact information, wherein theauthorization request identifies the requesting user, the amount to beapproved for the transaction, as well as the account to be billed;receiving by the wireless computing device an authorization from thebilling entity via the wireless communications link, wherein theauthorization specifies information including an identity of therequesting user, the account to be charged, the billing entity, and/orcontact information for the billing entity; dynamically encoding by thewireless computing device the billing entity and the authorizationreceived from the billing entity into a pattern using a protocolcompatible with a visual image reader of a point of sale (POS) systemassociated with a merchant processing system; generating a bar code upona display screen of the wireless computing device from the pattern;presenting the display screen of the wireless computing device to thevisual image reader at the POS system; and scanning the bar code usingthe visual image reader; detecting the pattern in the bar code andretrieving the billing entity and the authorization encoded in thepattern; verifying the retrieved authorization with the billing entityretrieved from the pattern; the verification step further comprising themerchant processing system determining contact information of thebilling entity retrieved from the bar code, the merchant processingsystem sending the retrieved authorization to the retrieved billingentity, and the merchant processing system receiving a response from theretrieved billing entity indicating whether the proposed transaction wasauthorized; and completing the transaction if the retrievedauthorization is verified by the retrieved billing entity.
 2. Themachine readable storage of claim 1, said receiving step furthercomprising: receiving a user input specifying at least one of thebilling entity and an amount of the proposed transaction.
 3. The machinereadable storage of claim 1, wherein the wireless communications link isa data communications link.
 4. The machine readable storage of claim 1,wherein the wireless communication link is a voice communications link,said requesting step comprising: calling the billing entity; andrequesting the authorization over the voice communications link.
 5. Themachine readable storage of claim 1, wherein the step of verifying isperformed by the merchant processing system and the billing entitywithout additional input from the user.
 6. The machine readable storageof claim 5, further comprising: identifying contact information for theretrieved billing entity.